Objective:
Resolve the HTTP 403 (Access Denied) error for the public S3 static website.
Root Cause:
By default, S3 buckets are private, and public access is blocked due to the Block Public Access settings.
Additionally, a bucket policy is needed to allow public access to the objects.
Solution Implementation:
Step 1: Turn off Block Public Access:
Navigate to the Permissions tab of the S3 bucket in the AWS Management Console.
Turn off the Block Public Access settings by disabling the following:
Block public access to buckets and objects via ACLs.
Block public access to buckets and objects via bucket policies.
Step 2: Add a Bucket Policy for Public Access:
Add a policy allowing GetObject for public access:
{
'Version': '2012-10-17',
'Statement':
[
{
'Effect': 'Allow',
'Principal': '*',
'Action': 's3:GetObject',
'Resource': 'arn:aws:s3:::<bucket-name>/*'
}
]
}
Step 3: Test Access:
Confirm that the website is accessible via the public URL.
AWS Reference:
Block Public Access Settings:S3 Block Public Access
Bucket Policies for Static Websites:Bucket Policy Examples
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
Option A: Route 53 is not required to resolve the 403 error; the issue is with S3 bucket permissions.
Option C: Editing file permissions alone will not work; bucket permissions must also allow public access.
Option D: PutObject permissions are unnecessary for serving a static website.
